Photographic apparatus



Feb. 15, 1938. T MoG AIKEN 2,108,246

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 11 INVENTOR g p I Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I PHOTOGRSffIflfiPPAR-ATUS Thomas McG. Aiken, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 12; 1936, Serial No. 105,168 Claims. (0!. 67-29) My invention relates to photographic apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for v use in the taking of flashlight pictures wherein electric photoflash bulbs are employed for providing the illumination.

Various attempts have been made to effect proper synchronization as between the period of time during which the shutter is open for ex posure of the plate or fllmand the period of light flash. These periods are measured in small fractions of a'second and difllculty has been experienced in insuring that the camera shutter will be open at the time of maximum intensity of i1- lumination from the bulb. Y

According to one prior method, the trigger which releases the shutter-operating mechanismis actuated so that the mid-point or wide open position of the shutter in the cycle of shutter opening and closing movement, will occur about .022 second after the circuit is closed through the flash lamp. The flash lamps contain fuses which are ruptured by the electricalcurrent to effect combustion of the illuminating material, with maximum intensity of illumination at about .020 to .023 second after closing of the circuit.

andthe operatingmechanism therefor. These parts may beat any of various standard types, the type here shown being known in the trade as the compur. The tensioned lever which operates the shutter is represented by the nu- 5 meral 5, its extremity being modified somewhat in order to permit the cooperation therewith 01' my mechanism. The trigger 6 which is usually employed for releasing the lever 5 to eifect actuation of the shutter will be disconnected when my 10 apparatus is employed with the camera. The adjustable disc 1 for varying the duration of shutter opening will be employed in'the usual manner, and is set so that the shutter will be operated at a speed of one one hundredth second or faster. 15

My apparat is shown as mounted in a casing l0, and may be secured in any suitable manner to the lens frame 3. A pair of spring contact switch members ll, of a well known form, are mounted on a base i2 within the casing, and are normally go spaced apart, by reason of their inherent resiliency. The switch controls a circuit through electrical conductors l3 and 14, a battery I5 and the fuse l6 of a photoflash lamp I1. An electromagnet I8 is also connected in series in the cir- 25 However, it is impossible to insure that all fuses cu twill be ruptured at a definite period of time after the circuit is closed, with the result that there is automatically actuated in sequence therewith at a predetermined time after the fuse of the lamp has been ruptured, thereby insuring proper timing as between the shutter movement and the flash, notwithstanding variations in the lamp fuses.

One form of mechanism for practicing my invention is shown .in the accompanying drawing 50 wherein Fi re 1 is a face view of a camera lens frame withv my apparatus applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a side elevational 'view thereof, partially in section. g

The lens frame is indicated by the numeral 3 u and carries the usual casing 4 for theshutter when the switch i I is closed, as well as a hand switch IS, the circuit through the lamp I1 and the magnet i8 will be completed, and the magnet will be energized to hold an armature 2i tightly against the core 2la of the magnet. The armature is carried by a pivotally mounted snubbing lever 22, the snubbing lever at that time serving to hold the shutter-operating lever 5 in its tensioned or set position. A spring 28 tends to hold the armature 2| against the core of the magnet, so that a very small amount of current in the coil will hold the snubbing lever against movement under the pressure of the tensioned operating lever 5. 4o

' A latch lever 24 is pivotally mounted at 25 to the casing l0 and in the position shown in the drawing, latches the snubbing lever 22 against movement under the biasing force of the shutter lever B. A spring 26 exerts a pulling force on the lever 24 tending to move it out of latching position with respect to the lever 22. A spring pressed trigger 21, when in the position shown in Fig. 1, holds the lever 24 against movement. With theiparts in the position shown in Ii'ig. 1, 5o the camera and the control apparatus therefor are ready for the taking of a picture. To photograph rapid action pictures and prevent blurred negatives, a shutter speed of .010 second-is preferably employed. A cable release 20 of wellknown form is employed for operating the trigger 21 to release the latch lever 24. Thereupon, the lever is rocked by the tension spring 26 to close the switch members I l. The spring contacts are so adjusted relative to the latched position of the lever 24 that the spring contacts are closed before the latch lever moves out of engagement with the snubbing lever 22, the switch arms I I both flexing downwardly under the pressure of the insulating knob 29 of the latch lever to permit the lever to move clear of the snubbing lever. During this downward movement, the series circuit through the lamp fuse l6 and the magnet 18 is closed, so that when the latch lever 24 moves completely clear of the snubbing lever 22, the magnet will hold the armature 2| ,until the circuit is broken through rupturing of the fuse I6.

Ordinarily the fuse will rupture or break down perhaps in about .016 second after the circuit has been closed, but this will vary with different fuses. During this period, the magnet I8 is maintained energized and holds the snubbing lever and prevents release of the shutter-operating lever 5. Upon rupturing of the fuse, the armature is released and the tension on the shutter-operating lever 5 causes it to swing the snubbing lever 22 in a clockwise direction a distance sufficient for the lever 5 to pass and effect operation of the shutter.

The peak or high point of illumination of the bulb will ordinarily occur about .006 second after rupture of the fuse and the circuit through the magnet l8 opened thereby, but, as above stated, this time may vary somewhat in either direction. In any event, the lever 22 and consequently the shutter lever 5 will be released immediately upon rupturing of the fuse, so that the shutter will always be operated at a definite period following the rupturing of the fuse; and while the flash or illumination in the tube is attaining its maximum luminosity, the shutter will be moving toward its fully opened position and continue its movement until it again closes, during which latter stage of shutter movement, the illumination will be fading away. The wide open position of the shutter is attained in about .005 second after the magnet is de-energized, and during such period the tube is reaching its high point of illumination. Thus, the mid-point of the shutter opening period and the most intense period of flash duration will be attained substantially concurrently.

In order to reset the apparatus for the taking of another picture, a new bulb is inserted, the lever 5 is drawn to its set position and the righthand end of the latch bar 24 is raised to restore it into locking engagement with the lever 22 and the trigger 21.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a camera shutter which is adapted to be placed under operating tension, of a magnetically-controlled restraining said fuse, means for closing the circuit through the fuse and for immediately thereafter releasing said locking means, and a holding device for said lever, which is rendered effective by the current in said circuit and which is rendered ineffective upon interruption of the circuit through rupturing of the fuse.

3. The combination with the shutter-operating lever of a camera, of a photofiash lamp having a fuse, a snubbing lever for holding the shutteroperating lever against movement under tension, a latch bar for holding the snubbing lever against movement under pressure of the said operatinglever, a tension element urging the latching lever toward release position with respect to the snubbing lever, a trigger for holding the latch lever against movement by the tension element, an electrical circuit including the said photoflash lamp, an electro-magnet in said circuit in series with said lamp, a switch for said circuit, positioned to be closed through movement of the latching lever to release position when the trigger is disengaged from the latching lever, and an armature carried by the snubbing lever in position to be held by the electro-magnet upon closure of said switch, the switch being so arranged as to be closed by the latch bar before the latch bar has moved entirely clear of the snubbing lever.

4. The method of timing the movement of a camera shutter with respect to the illumination of an electrical photofiash lamp, which comprises restraining the shutter against movement under spring tension, by an electrical circuit through the lamp, and causing the restraining force to be released through rupturing of the lamp circuit by the flashing of the lamp.

5. The method of timing the movement of a camera shutter with respect to the illumination of an electrical photoflash lamp, which comprises closing an electrical circuit through the lamp and causing the shutter to be opened through rupture of the lamp circuit by the flashing of the lamp.

6. The method of timing the movement of a camera shutter with respect to the illumination of an electrical photoflash lamp, which comprises closing an electrical circuit through the lamp and causing the shutter to be moved through an opening and closing cycle by rupture of the lamp circuit by the flashing of the lamp.

THOMAS MCG. AIKEN. 

